Committee
Report on the New Jersey Naval Militia Joint Command (NJNMJC) to The
Adjutant General
Executive Summary
The National Guard is a full partner in the Global War on Terrorism. Fifty
percent of the
military members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are Guard and Reserve.
This year, the New
Jersey Army National Guard is experiencing historic mobilizations. More
than 60 percent of the
New Jersey Army National Guard will be deployed to support Operation Iraqi
Freedom,
Operation Enduring Freedom in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and the Sinai. Beyond
the involvement
of the New Jersey Army National Guard overseas operations, is the need
for additional resources
in the ports as articulated in the Coast Guard letter at Appendix A. Additionally,
the New Jersey
Air National Guard continues to support all operations stateside daily
and overseas on a regularly
scheduled rotational basis.
Given this current opstempo for the New Jersey Army and Air National
Guard, the utilization of
a State Defense Force such as the New Jersey Naval Militia Joint Command
(NJNMJC) is a
logical solution given their proven ability to be a force multiplier.
P.L.2004 c.300 required NJ
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to study the need for a NJNMJC.
The Department
of Military and Veterans Affairs recommends the continuation and further
development of the
NJNMJC as follows:
•
To best position the organization for federal recognition, re-organize
the three currently
existing divisions into two distinct organizations—the State Guard
and the Naval Militia
under the NJNMJC.
• Implement the draft regulations that will
address at a minimum security checks, fitness,
accession criteria, and training in accordance with federal and state
statutes as well as
compliance with NGR 10-4.
• State funds need to be appropriated. The
projected total costs for Years 1-3 are
$706,800.
• In accordance with the findings of the
Attorney General, seek a change to
N.J.S.A.38A:3-6.1 to allow the NJNMJC to provide aid to localities, a
key component
in homeland security missions |